Draft rigging



1934. H. J. LOUNSBURY DRAFT RIGGING Filed Jan. 27, 1932 ll lj/I 2'/// lll //7 van for Harvey .11 ounsbu/"y Bu 'fVE/vmq/ Aff Patented Feb. 6, 1934 PATENT DRAFT RIGGING Harvey J. Lounsbury, Glen Ellyn, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application January 27, 1932. Serial No. 589,075

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in draft riggings especially designed for use in connection with mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging having higher capacity in buff than in draft without undue increase in the number of shock absorbing units employed, some of the shock absorbing devices or units being'utilized to absorb both draft and bufiing shocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging for cars, including cushioning buifing devices at opposite sides-of the end of the car, which cushioning devices are of ample capacity to absorb the maximum blows to which said bufiing devices are subjected, wherein the,

cost'of manufacture of the entire draft rigging ismaterially reduced due to saving in labor and material through employment of part only of the cushioning means to take care of the pulling forces, thus permitting the use of pressure transmitting means of reduced size and lighter weight 'to transmit the pulling forces to the cushioning devices in draft.

Other objects of the invention will more clearlyappear from the descriptionand claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this'specification, Figure 1 is a part plan and part horizontal, sectional view of one end portion of a mine car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of'Figure 1. Figure 3 is' a transverse, vertical, sectional view, corresponding'substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1 And Figure 4 is an elevational viewypartly broken away, looking from the left in Figure 1. 1

In said drawing, B designates generally the underframe structure of a mine car, which'underframe structure B is preferably in the form of a single casting. The underframe structure B has a transverse, vertical end wall 10 forming in effect the end sill of the car. The casting is also provided with longitudinally extending, spaced webs 11 and 12, which are connected at their opposite ends to the end sill members 10-10 and form in'efiect longitudinal side sills of the ca'r'underframe structure. -The floor of the car, which is indicated by 13, is preferably formed integral with the casting of the underframe structure, said floor being inclined forwardly, as clearly shown in Figure 2. At opposite sides, the end sill member 10 is provided with shallow spring pockets 14-14, the rear transverse walls of which are braced by the longitudinally extending webs 12-12 of the underframe structure. Inwardly of the pockets 1l-14 at each side of the car, the end sill 12 is provided with openings 15-15. In alignment with each opening 15 and spaced rearwardly therefrom is a transverse abutment wall 16, for a purpose hereinafter set forth. As shown most clearly in Fig-' ure 2, the abutment wall 16 is provided with a rearwardly projecting horizontal flange 17 at the lower end thereof. Each abutment wall 16 is preferably reinforced by a rearwardly extend ing diagonal web 18 formed integral with the floor member 13 of the underframe casting. The end sill 10 is also provided with pairs of top and bottom forwardly projecting, vertically spaced flanges 19-19 and 19-19 at opposite sides of the car, presenting top and bottom guide walls for the bufling heads, as hereinafter pointed out. I

A transversely arranged pulling beam 21 is disposed immediately to the rear of the end sill 10, said pulling beam having opposite end portions thereof disposed immediately to the rear of the openings 15-15 of the end sill 10 and in front of the abutment Walls 16-16; As most clearly shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the beam 21 is in the form of a horizontally disposed, substantially fiat bar having vertically disposed follower plate sections 22-22 at opposite ends thereof. The follower plate sections are arranged at the forward side of the bar 21 and are reinforced by rearwardly extending top and bottom ribs 23-23 formed integral with the plate sections and the bar. The rear edge portions of the opposite ends of the bar bear directly on the abutment Walls 16-16, the bar being thus held against rearward movement. A coupler hook 24 is pivoted to the bar midway between the ends thereof by means of a vertically disposed pivot member 25. The coupler hook extends through the end sill 10, the latter being provided with a suitable opening 26, which accommodates'the hook for lateral swinging movement. The opposite ends of the beam 21 are supported by plates 117 secured to the flanges 1'7 of the walls 16.

Two buffing heads 27-27 are employed at opposite sides of the end of the car. Each buffing head is preferably in the form of a cap having spaced top and bottom walls 28-28, spaced vertical side walls 29-29, and an outer transverse vertical end wall 30. The end Walls 30-30 of the two buffing heads 27-27 present bufing end faces which cooperate with the corresponding buffing members'of the adjacent car. As clearly shown in Figure 1, the end face of one of themovement of each bufiing member; and a transbufling heads 2? is convex, while the other is flat, this being the usual construction in connection with mine cars. The top and. bottom walls 2828 of each bufling head are longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 31-31, to receive a vertically disposed guide key 82, which is secured to the flanges 19-19 at the corresponding side of the end of the car. As most clearly shown in Figure 2, the key 32 is headed at the upper end and is secured by a cotter pin extending through the lower end thereof. As will be evident, the key in addition to holding the parts assembled also limits the movement of the corresponding buffing head by engagement of the outer end walls of the slots in the top and bottom walls thereof with the front edge of the key. As shown in Figure 2, the end wall of each bufiing head is further provided with an interior, horizontally disposed, transverse rib 33, which has the rear edge thereof terminating in vertical alignment with the front end walls of the slots 31--31 of the bufling cap, thereby presenting an abutment face which also engages the key to restrict the inward movement of the bufiing cap. A pair of shock absorbing springs 3434 are employed in connection with each buffing cap, the springs being disposed within the cap and arranged on opposite sides of the corresponding key 32. One of the springs 34 has the rear end thereof seated in the pocket 14 at the corresponding side of the end of the car. The other spring 34 extends through the adjacent opening 15 and has the rear end thereof bearing on the follower plate section 22 at the corresponding side of the transverse beam 21. As will be evident, the keys 32-32 limit the outward movement of the buffing caps or heads 27-27 so that these caps serve as abutment means for the outer ends of the inner springs 34:34 of the two pairs when pressure is applied to the rear ends of these springs during a draft action.

The operation of my improved draft rigging is as follows: Upon a pulling action being applied to the coupler book 24, the beam 21 will be pulled forwardly, thereby compressing the springs 3434, which cooperate with the opposite ends of the beam 21 against the outer end walls of the two buffing caps 2'7-27 which at this time are held stationary by the keys 3232. Outward movement of the beam is limited by engagement of the follower plate sections 22-22 thereof with the end sill 10. Upon a buffing force being applied to the buffing heads 2727, or either of them, the same are forced inwardly of the car, thereby compressing both of the springs 3434 associated with each head. As will be clear, the innermost spring of each pair is buttressed against the corresponding end of the beam 21 during this action, the beam at this time being held against movement by abutting the corresponding transverse wall 16. Inward movement of each cap is limited by engagement of the inner end of the same with the end sill 10.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with inwardly movable buffing members at opposite sides of the end of the car; of a pair of laterally spaced springs opposing inward versely disposed pulling member at the corresponding end of the car, said pulling member being of a length less than the spacing between the outer springs of said pairs and engaging only the inner spring of each pair to oppose outward movement of said pulling member during a draft action. I

2. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a pair of inwardly movable buffing heads at opposite sides of the end of the car; of a pair of laterally spaced springs yieldingly opposing inward movement of each buffing head; means for limiting outward movement of said buffing, heads; a transversely disposed beam of lesser length than the distance between the outer two springs of said pairs, said beam having opposite end sections thereof provided with spring engaging means, the spring engaging means at each end of the beam engaging the inner end of the inner spring of each pair, thereby yieldingly opposing outward movement of said beam; and means connected to said beam between the ends thereof for coupling said car to another car.

3. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with inwardly movable buffing members at op.-v

posite sides of the end of the car; of a pair of shock absorbing devices opposing inward movement of each buffing member, said shock absorbing device of each pair being spaced apart laterally of the car; and a transversely disposed beam member at the corresponding end of the car, said beam member being of a length less than the distance between the two outer coils of said pairs, said beam member engaging one only of the shock absorbing devices of each pair to oppose outward movement of said beam during a draft action.

4. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with a pair of inwardly movable buffing heads at opposite'sides of the end of the car; of a pair of shock absorbing devices disposed within each head and opposing inward movement of the same, one member of each pair of devices being disposed on the car laterally outwardly of the other member; means for limiting movement of said bufling heads away from the car; a transversely disposed beam having follower means at opposite end sections thereof, the follower means at each end of said beam terminating inwardly of the outer shock absorbing device of the corresponding pair and engaging only the other shock absorbing device of said corresponding pair, thereby yieldingly opposing outward movement of said beam; and means connected to said beam between the ends thereof for coupling said car to another car. 3

5. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with inwardly movable bufling members at opposite sides of the end of the car; of a transversely disposed, outwardly movable beam at the corresponding end of the car, said beam having coupler means connected thereto; means yieldingly opposing relative movement of said beam and buffing members toward each other; and additional cushioning means at opposite sides of the car laterally outwardly beyond the ends of the beam yieldingly opposing inward movement of the buffing members, said additional cushioning means being buttressed against the end of the car.

6. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with laterally spaced spring abutments at opposite sides of the end of the car; of a trans versely disposed draft'beam at the correspond ing end of the car, disposed between said abutments, said beam being of lesser length than the distance between said abutments and having spring seats at opposite ends thereof; coupling means connected to said draft beam; a pair of bufiing caps at opposite sides of the same end of the car, said caps being movable toward and away from the car; means for limiting outward movement of said bufiing caps; means for limiting inward movement of the beam; springs bearing at opposite ends on said bufiing caps and said spring abutments; and additional springs outwardly beyond the ends of the beam bearing at opposite ends on the buifing caps and spring seats.

7. In a draft rigging for cars, the combination with abutment means inwardly of the end of the car; of a transversely disposed draft beam normally bearing on said abutments and held against inward movement thereby, said draft beam being movable outwardly; spring seats on said beam at opposite ends thereof; spring seats on the end of the car beyond the opposite ends of said beam; a pair of buiiing caps at opposite sides of the end of the car; supporting guide means for said caps, said caps and guide means being slotted; keys extending through said slots and limiting outward movement of said caps; and a pair of springs within each cap yieldingly opposing movement thereof, one of the springs of each pair being buttressed against the spring seat at the corresponding end of the beam and the other spring of said pair being buttressed against the spring seat on the corresponding side of the end of the car. Y

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY. 

